Anxious People
Score Modern
What it's about
An apartment open house turns into a life-or-death situation when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes a group of strangers hostage, among them a retired couple who can't fix their own marriage, a wealthy bank director, a young couple about to have their first child, and an eighty-seven-year-old woman. As the police try to work out what happened, the strangers discover they have more in common than they thought.
Why it's worth reading
It was an instant #1 New York Times bestseller and spent 44 weeks on the lists. It's funny, tender and surprising, in the way only Fredrik Backman can be.
You'll love it if you liked
A Man Called Ove, The House in the Cerulean Sea or Remarkably Bright Creatures
Good to know
Its structure jumps between the hostage scene and police interviews, and it all comes together at the end. It deals with suicide and grief, gently.
Quick answers
Is Anxious People worth reading?
Yes. It was an instant #1 New York Times bestseller and spent 44 weeks on the lists. It ranks #311 of the 2,819 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 81.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Anxious People about?
An apartment open house turns into a life-or-death situation when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes a group of strangers hostage, among them a retired couple who can't fix their own marriage, a wealthy bank director, a young couple about to have their first child, and an eighty-seven-year-old woman. As the police try to work out what happened, the strangers discover they have more in common than they thought.
How long does it take to read Anxious People?
About 9 hours (352 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Anxious People?
If you liked it, try A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune or Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt.
By the numbers
- Readers88 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller70 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
44 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists since 2020.
Where it ranks
- #25 of the 555 mysteries and thrillers we rank
- #35 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #159 of the 1,575 modern books we rank
- #311 of the 2,819 books we rank
Bestseller
- 44 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists since 2020
Reads as
Funny, Gripping, Uplifting
More by Fredrik Backman
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